Push The Button
by Blehhhhhhhhhhhh
Summary: Babe Story. There are two sides to every story. What a difference a few seconds can make. Do Steph and Ranger finally get together or do they pay the ultimate price?
1. Push The Button

**__**

Disclaimer: I make no claim to the wonderful characters created by the Goddess, JE. I've just let them out for the day. I've also been cheeky and used George Lucas opening credits for ROTJ. Credit to both, I'm making no money from this. Just exorcising some demons from my mind.

Thanks to Christie for the edit. You did grand, as always. Kirsty, thanks for the beta.

A/N: I have to admit I have been inspired by one of my favorite movies, Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt). And the idea for this story comes from that…just one small incident, can change the course of our futures, indefinitely. The story starts the same, but plays out to two, very different endings…

A time not so long ago in a city far, far away…

…The time has come to

****

P u s h _the _B u t t o n

Joseph Morelli has returned to his home with blue Tiffany bag in an attempt to rescue the heart of his girlfriend Stephanie Plum from the clutches of the vile depths of doubt.

Little does he know that the ring has begun Stephanie to question whether her love for Ranger is even more powerful than for himself.

Proposal completed, this ultimate gesture will spell certain misfortune for one of the heroes struggling to restore faith to Stephanie's heart...

-x--x--x-

Looking down at the ring on my finger was like being sucked into black hole. Nerve-wracking, vomit inducing, life draining. The ring wasn't gaudy. How could three carats of Tiffany's finest cut diamonds be considered brassy? It's just the implication that comes with the ring, everything is so final. And it made me realize although the ring was beautiful, it's only white gold and diamonds; an inanimate object perched on the end of my finger until I sign my heart over. But my heart was my most cherished possession…

Because I didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea, I had the ring on an eighteen-carat white gold chain around my neck. My heart was fluttering back and forth trying to come up with an answer and my brain wasn't much help. The logical side of me was saying to accept Morelli's proposal. It was the obvious, dependable choice. The crazy side was convinced I was settling, instead of taking a risk; going after the lone wolf. Ranger.

There are men who mark you for life, who make your hormones run on overload whenever they cross your path. For me, that man was Ranger. I could sense whenever he was around me. Even if he hadn't made his presence known- the hair on the nape of my neck would stand on end, my spine would tingle and I would get an over-intense feeling that someone was watching me. That someone who would do everything in his power to protect me. Morelli was different, my first love, the first guy of many to break my heart and my first _first_- something which could never be taken away from us. Whatever was going on in my head and my heart, the slightest thought of either of them naked, caused me to break out in cold sweats.


	2. Going Down

**__**

Disclaimer. See Chapter 1.

Going down…

I stood in front of his door, my hand balled into a fist. At first I had lightly tapped on the door, trying to find the courage deep down inside to face him and after the second went by without being answered, I was all out pounding on the door, making a fool of myself. Like usual. I'd finally given up, and took the elevator down, listening to the familiar dings of each floor when I heard the elevator ding and stop, opening up to see Ranger standing in front of me, his eyes intense and directly focused on my face.

Everything about Ranger was dark. His hair, his eyes, his skin tone, his wardrobe, the color of his cars, the lifestyle he had chosen for himself. He walked in the shadows and let very few people in to his inner circle of trust. Until his daughter was kidnapped, I didn't realize just how much he'd let me in. Which was saying something because I still didn't know that much about him. I knew enough to trust him with my life. The jury was still deciding if I could trust him with my heart. Today he'd skipped out on his usual monochrome wardrobe in favor of a white cotton oxford cut shirt and blue jeans with a designer rip at his knee.

"Looking for me?" He asked, hand against the door to keep it from closing.

"Actually, I came by on the off chance you might be home. You weren't. So I'm heading back to my apartment to get dinner." I bit down on my lower lip.

"Try again, babe. You don't cook. You order take out." He stepped off the fifth. The doors hissed shut behind and we were moving. "Are you going to tell me why you're here?"

He paced towards me, gaze locked on mine until I was trapped in a corner. His hand rested on my shoulder, "your pulse is racing, you're as twitchy as hell and you're gnawing down on your lower lip. I won't ask you again, babe. What's wrong?"

"Or what, you'll have to kill me?" I said. I didn't mean to sound like the fourth grade bitch who got the most Valentine's cards. But when in doubt, avoidance was the one thing I had to get me out the elevator and safely on Morelli's Ducati, away from Ranger. And away from the nine levels of hell I was about to send myself to.

He sighed.

"Sorry, that was uncalled for. I'm just up to here with everything and I need to talk to you before I do anything rash."

Ranger flashed me a grin, as quick as it came it was gone, replaced with more of a serious face when I failed to smile back in return.

"What's going on babe. It's not like you to be—"

And then the elevator came to a screeching halt, the cart wavering from side to side as it slid past the stoppers and ground out a high pitch squeal in the effort to heave into the emergency stop. I gripped onto Ranger, holding onto him for dear life, scared out of my mind, only thinking of the things I hadn't admitted to and things that I wished I'd said, which was funny in a way. I never thought I'd die in an elevator.

Ranger looked down at me as the cart came to a stop finally and brushed a wayward curl out of my eyes. Our eyes held for a moment, and I held my breath. He didn't have to ask if I was alright, he already knew the answer.

"Fuck." He said, looking up at the ceiling. "I always thought it'd be your elevator I'd get trapped in."

An hour later, we'd made all the emergency calls and were still waiting on a rescue. Tank was taking care of things on Ranger's end and I'd called Morelli to let him know I was going to be late. "Only you Steph, only you."

__

Nice to know his faith in me is the same as always.

"Where are they?" I shrieked, pacing in the elevator, now that I was sure it wasn't going anywhere. "I feel all caged up—"

Ranger patted the ground beside him. "Sit down. We'll be out of here soon enough."

I shot him a look, "Fine." I huffed and puffed and finally sat down beside him slowly. I was wearing black leather pants and a matching biker jacket. Thanks to the helmet my hair was flat and had taken on the consistency of micro noodles. Leave in conditioner my eye. As such, it took some evasive maneuvering to get a suitable sitting position. I ended up legs stretched, jacket tossed on the floor, leaning against Ranger's hard shoulder. "You'd be a bit more comfy if you didn't work out so much. Maybe you should skip out on the gym and try a month on nothing but junk food."

"That stuff would kill me." The tips of his mouth turned upwards.

"Right now I could do with a pillow and you're not exactly soft are you?"

"It'd ruin my image." He said, slinging his arm around me, pulling me in closer, "I've got to keep up appearances, you know. Ain't nothing worse than some old fat guy dragging criminals back in to the system."

"You'd be able to outsmart most of the bad guys if you had a large hole in your stomach and were running around with an extra two hundred pounds of Jell-O on your middle."

"Realize you just compared me to your favorite snack."

"Forget it. I'm just hungry." I ran my fingertips inside the neckline of my shirt and skimmed the edge of my chain with my nails. "Did Tank say how long we'd be stuck in here?" Denial, denial, denial, was always going to be my best friend.

His breath warm on my ear. "What scares you more…being stuck in here with me or marrying Morelli?"

My mouth slacked open a tad, and I slammed it shut. Lula struck again! She's definitely due a kick in the shin the next time she buys a new pair of boots.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I wanted to know, getting dangerously close to the bone.

With barely a perceptible movement, his lips were centimeters from mine, his hands on my hips. The moment he touched me everything changed. I closed the gap and caught his mouth in a soft kiss. My arms wrapped around him; the kiss deepened. I ran my fingers through his short black hair curling at the nape of his neck. The tip of his tongue lightly grazed the top of my mouth and I opened up, letting it in. Letting him in. No sooner had his tongue touched mine than I was moaning in satisfaction. I pulled back instantly. How? I will never know. The only thing making sense to me was making out with Ranger was not why I'd come to see him. I came here to sort my life out.

"Shit." I said backing away from him. "I can't do this."

"What now?" He replied.

"We have unfinished business," I quoted to him. "We've got to talk."

"So talk."

"Why did you start helping me? I mean, I know you owed Connie a favor, but after you took that bullet from Dodd most people would have wiped their hands clean."

"Notice you missed out the part about rescuing you from your shower pole." He said giving me a cool stare. "I wasn't taking you seriously - I should have. Trained you properly in all the procedures from the beginning. The bullet was my own fault. I underestimated the little fucker and look where it got me."

That's the thing about Ranger. Most people don't see past the Cuban coloring; they see a street thug, but in truth, he was more like Batman than a gang banger. Ranger played on the way the outside world envisages him. Hell, when we first met he was all swagger, gold chains and 'fo shizzles…then I got to know him better. He answered what questions he chose and avoided anything that may reveal his secret identity. Fair enough. I may never know every little detail about his life but I wasn't brushed off that easily.

"That still doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you just feed me to the wolves?"

"Stephanie, I've told you countless times, I have a certain reputation to uphold. I keep up the badass image and the street respects that. If my crew lose any bail hoppers, the street cred goes down and I don't like it when that happens. So when I took you on, I was partially maintaining my image. You didn't know the ropes and people were already talking. We'd been seen together, too many times and they put two and two together."

"You son of a bitch," I stood up and stalked into a facing corner. "This was all about how the outside world viewed you? You were only helping me, so you kept your rep. You didn't giving a flying fuck about me or my safety. Tell me one thing; have you been lying to me this entire time? Is this was all about how you look? Tell me you haven't gained the slightest bit of admiration for the jobs I do, _without _you? Tell me that and I'll walk out your life and never bother you again."

Silence. Ranger thinking before he spoke. "You had my admiration the moment you 'borrowed' Morelli's car. The little white bread girl stealing a cop car. That took balls. You had my respect when you dragged his sorry ass to the police station in the back of the truck. That's when people started talking. And you gained my trust when you didn't want to leave me behind with the church crazies."

He stood up slowly, coming towards me. Making every moment known - this wasn't like him. I thought for a split second he might scream at me or shake me, instead he brushed a few loose curls away from my face.

Ranger's eyes held me in an eyelock. He'd caught the look of doubt in my eye. "I'm sorry."

"I was trained never to leave a member of my team behind. You didn't want to go, and I knew in that moment I had your loyalty."

I let the last five minutes sink in. His words and gestures. "I'm sensing a but here?" I stated, matter-of-factly.

Ranger sighed. "Morelli." Was all he said.

"Morelli?" I repeated. "What's he got to do with this?"

"After three years of dragging you through the mud, babe, you should be able to answer that yourself. It doesn't take Dr. Phil to tell you the unhealthy behavior patterns and games you both twist each other with. You just need to realize that for yourself."

"Do you think I'm here to have you analyze everything in my relationship?"

"No. I think you're here looking for a get out clause."

That stung a bit. I swallowed back a sob. "Is that honestly what you think of me?"

He shook his head. "What I think doesn't matter. I interfered the first time because it suited my purposes. I was attracted to you and thought it may give you another option to consider. I wasn't looking for any permanent commitment. Just a window of opportunity that you would think about someone else when you close your eyes at night. Someone that wouldn't treat you the way he does."

"So now Morelli's all the bad bastards under the sun. What gives you the right to judge him like that; you love 'em and leave 'em."

"I left because I had to work. I told you that. I loved you and left you because there is only room in your soul for one man Stephanie. And it's not me. Suddenly Morelli realized just what he had in you and he didn't want to lose you. That's why he has asked you to marry him."

I sat there dazed and confused. There was nothing to be afraid of. This is just another one of those conversations telling me I am oil and he is water, I told myself. Deal with it and move on. "The one difference Ranger- that he loves me. And he's showing me by offering a lifetime commitment. I thought I'd finally figured everything out. I came here to speak to you. I'm not looking for an excuse to break up my engagement. I haven't said yes, yet. I came here to find if there's even a remote chance of anything ever happening between us."

"How can you repeatedly go back to a man that treats you the way he does? All those years of swinging back and forth between each other." He let out an audible sigh, "You only put up with someone like that if you love them, there's no other excuse for putting up with behavior like that. You're the reason I hold back Stephanie because _you _don't know what the hell you want."

"So you put all this together and knock me back before I even get a chance to say what I have to."

"Pretty much."

"So much for the badass." I muttered under my breath.

Ranger spoke firmly. "It's not about being a badass, it's called self preservation. Survival. But by all means, say what you have to say. We're not going anywhere."

"Well your self preservation sucks, big time! Maybe if you didn't have so many fucking walls up I would get in. More than the little tit-bits you throw at me. I want you to know the first time I told Morelli I loved him, was last summer. Right after I'd watched you take those bullets. He scraped me off the floor and took me to the hospital to see you. You. You hear me? I didn't give two shits about anyone else in those moments. And I realized then, I couldn't not have you in my life."

"And this is supposed to make me feel better?"

"No Ranger." I mocked. "It's self-preservation. I want to tell you something, something, which you've told me dozens of times. But it's always been dealt with as a joke in a way, justified so you don't freak me out."

"Babe, stop." He said.

"I love you damnit. _I love you more than I'll ever love him_. Than I'll ever love anyone. And if you can't see that, then you're the fool. Not me." Let the ground swallow me up.

"I wish I could believe you but I've watched you go back to him too many times."

As if hearing my silent plea, the elevator suddenly started moving. Thank you God. The doors opened smoothly on the first floor to a bunch of burly men in RangeMan shirts. Tank was standing at the forefront. He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off. Holding onto my last shred of dignity, I dug inside my pocket and ripped the RangeMan entry fob card from my own set. That was all it took for me to come undone.

I stood, jaw tight, fists balled until my nails dug into the palms of my hand. Ten faces turned to face me. Eyes laced with a mixture of shock and concern. I couldn't take the looks of sympathy; in those seconds sympathy did not help matters. I threw the key card across the room, narrowly missing several of Ranger's men. It bounced off the foyer wall directly above Tank's head. I watched with satisfaction as it shattered to the floor in a ball of broken pieces. I fled the elevator. And took solace in the only bathroom on the first floor, away from the prying eyes, and broke down.

I sat against the locked stall door with my legs crossed and my arms clamped onto my elbows. I was shuddering. I'm not sure whether I was cold, I only had on a t-shirt or whether it was the anger, brewing slowly throughout my entire system. My body was fighting against it; waves of tension flew through my body trying to stiffen the shudders. The shaking became violent and I had to run my hands down my arms, pulling them into my body. To try to console myself. I curled my body into itself and stared at my feet.

How could he reject me? I said to the empty room. My voice bounced off the walls and echoed against me. A million questions where flying through my head. Why? I'd broken down confessing how I felt and he didn't believe me. Had he simply had enough of me and this was his excuse to get his kicks somewhere else?

I pulled out my cell phone.

"Joe." I said into the receiver. "I'm really shaken up; can you come pick me up at RangeMan?" He may have his faults, but he's always there when I need him.

I'd like to think I have control of my emotions. This was just too much. The image of Ranger turning away from me at my most vulnerable burned in my mind. His strong words of skepticism. I tried to subdue the shaking, I couldn't. I stood up and sank against the door. Tears pooled in my eyes. Damn him, the absolute bastard. Fat tears were tumbling down my cheeks, dripping onto my shirt. As fast as I swiped them away, the faster and fatter the tears fell. Get a grip, Stephanie I told myself. Nothing worked. I just couldn't get control. I was shaking and sobbing and I couldn't catch my breath. Every slice of anger I felt was smashing against me, pulsating inside, and pouring from every available channel. My heart was breaking in anguish, shattering into a million pieces inside me. My breathing was erratic. There wasn't enough air or space in the closed toilet stall to get myself into line.

I gave into the silent screaming and sunk to the ground. Bile was welling in the pit of my stomach. Weakly, I clambered onto my knees and crawled towards the toilet. I was howling non-stop and trying to bite back the raising vomit. Inevitably, my body collapsed. I used the last of my energy to heave up into the toilet and then, I fainted.

****

The End

**__**

If you'd like a happier ending, trying Going Up :)


	3. Going Up

**_Disclainer: See Chapter 1._**

****

**_Going Up…_**

In the blink of an eye, minor moments can unfold into major dramas, changing the flow of our lives. Forever. I stood at the bottom of the stairwell trying to summon up the courage to get over myself and get my ass up to the seventh floor. To see Ranger. To sort my life out once and for all. As I made my way to the back wall, three figures ambled into the elevator; I arrived just in time to have the doors hiss mechanically shut in my face, bringing out my trash mouth. I waited, fingers drumming on the button panel, the beat of my impatient fingertips matching the pace of my heart humming in my throat, listening to the elevator ping on each floor as it climbed to the top of the building. A high pitched squeal came from the elevator shaft. It grew louder and louder and then…_screech_!

What the hell?

The instant I heard the squealing, I was rushing up upstairs two steps at a time. I entered the control room, sweating under my little t-shirt and black biker leather, with visions of my helmet hair fuzzing out like cocker spaniel ears, away from my head. By the time I pulled a seat beside a bald headed RangeMan with wing nut ears, I was breathless, flushed, my words incoherent. "What's going on?" I asked of no one in particular.

Hal spoke up. "Elevator's broken down between the fourth and fifth. The Boss, Tank and Lester are stuck. Ranger's on the phone to Louis to get things fixed at our end."

"So, the company's top banana and his second are temporarily incapacitated and everyone's just sitting around?"

"Have a look -" he showed me a monitor with live feed from the elevator - "you can see exactly what's going on. It's amazing how clear the resolution is. You can see the yellow spotting in the hickey Lester is trying to hide with his collar up. Look, the purpling below his ear." Sure enough, Lester's neck looked like it'd spent the night with some female bloodsuckers. Christ, the things this camera could have caught me doing…

In the beginning, Tank sat in the corner by the control panel, judging from the hand gestures and familiar shapes his lips formed, he was having a shit fit. Lester was running the edge of his collar along the underside of his chin. We already knew what he was trying to hide. And Ranger, well he stood continually on his cell, probably planning their escape. Like the rest of the RangeMen, I was huddled in close, openly amused at the elevator's occupants; mostly open discomfort. It's good to see even the tough guys get twitchy now and then. I secretly hoped that Ranger might show some sign of emotion. But he sat there; jaw locked tight. After an hour, the crowd had dissipated and I was tired of Big Brother. People in a room, sitting watching, people in a room. It gets old.

Finally, the groaning of the elevator shaft caught my attention and I moved to the elevator, reaching the doors just as they opened. Tank and Lester stepped off, brushing past me and I locked eyes with Ranger. He held his arm out to me and I shook my head, "There is no way I'm getting on that deathtrap you call an elevator, Ranger."

Lester gave my ass a playful slap. "You're no fun kiddo." I feigned being offended.

"I mean it! Look at it, it's still shaking. Not even for a front row season ticket to the Knicks." I said to Ranger once we had relative privacy. I stood leaning against one of the doors to keep them from rolling shut. You could send me the Rock, naked, with nothing but a bow wrapped around his neck and I wouldn't get in the shoddy thing.

"Yet you'll get into the moving coffin in your apartment block?" Ranger's eyes flickered over me, lingering longer than was normal on my chest. "I like the leather. Are you trying for dominatrix or was that Morelli's bike I heard roll into the garage?"

I grinned. "Morelli's bike. Although the dominatrix thing might be a new career path for me. Rich old kinky business men looking for a youngish woman to do things to them that would make their wives blood curdle. I can just see the business cards." Denial, denial, denial. The old friend I refused to let go of.

"Can we continue this upstairs? The men will have a fit if they hear you talking like this."

And before I even had the opportunity to retort, Ranger hooked his arms around my

shoulders and caught me completely off guard. I was panic stricken as the doors slid closed in front of my very eyes, to stunned to breath, to shocked to blink. Shit.

"Babe," Ranger said loudly, interrupting my split second of hysteria. "I wouldn't have stayed in here if I didn't think it was safe. We're only going two floors."

He keyed the display and we entered his apartment in silence. As we strode into his kitchen, I let out an audible gasp of air I didn't realize I'd been holding in. Ranger had a habit of that; leaving me breathless. Whether it was vomiting at his feet after a three mile run or sensual whispers of innuendos in his Turbo. I suppose that says something about me, I willing allow myself to be tortured by him on a regular basis. Secretly, I thought he's a sadist. I just don't know enough about him to confirm my theory - yet.

Ranger's normal getup consisted entirely of black. I suppose he never had to worry that any of his wardrobe is going to clash. On the downside, he's bound to get hot in the summer. Today, he'd opted for a much softer look. Blue distressed jeans and a white cotton shirt, rolled up to his elbows and open to the top of his chest. He was barefoot. I was ready to call the police, not because it was disconcerting; he looked relaxed. And Ranger never looks relaxed, Ranger never looks anything.

"You okay?" He asked. He was settled, leaning against the marble countertop gazing down at me knee deep in the fridge. I took out a couple of beers and handed him one.

"I will be once I get this beer open." I answered, pulling off the screw top and taking a long pull of Corona. I jumped up on the opposing counter and faced him, crossing my legs at the knee. "Dammit, I swear to God. The Mofo who invented these things must have hated women. However I sit, I can't get comfy and I look ridiculous."

"Not from where I'm standing. Come here." He said, fingertips combing the edge of the countertop directly beside him.

"I'm okay here."

"Are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

"I'm fine, honestly. I was just passing and thought on the off chance, you might be in."

"You never drop around without calling first. What's really going on?"

I shot him a look.

"Stephanie?" Ranger crossed the room and stopped several inches from my face. His hand found my face, his fingers caressed my cheek. "Talk to me."

"I can't" My voice was a whisper. "I thought I could and now, everything's went to hell."

I lowered my face into my hands and sighed.

"I can't do anything until you tell me what's up." He'd given up trying to touch my face and had settled wrapping his arms around my body, as much as I'd let him.

"You really mean that, don't you? Before you even know what the problem is, you're already trying to find a solution for me. Maybe this is just one of these things that no one can fix." Tears welled in my eyes. I dropped my hands, instead, burying my face in the crook of Ranger's neck "Maybe the cost is too high this time."

"Do I need to repeat the old mantra? There is never a price to high babe. Not physically, not monetary, not emotionally. I will do whatever I can within my power to help you. Never be ashamed of asking or telling me, anything. I don't like you hiding things from me." Ranger inched his head backwards and looked down at me, brushing a loose curl out my eyes to get a better look. For a beat, our eyes held and he pulled back. He didn't need to ask anymore questions, he knew how upset I was. "Go grab a seat in the living room. I'll grab us a couple of fresh beers and then you can talk."

I was pacing by the time he arrived in the living room. Now I knew I had to speak up, I was even more distressed.

Ranger grinned. "You're only making yourself worse. Sit down and take some deep breaths."

Easy for him to say. He was sitting; arms stretched the entire length of the couch still looking relaxed. Probably even amused. Front side seats to Stephanie Plum's meltdown spectacular. And he thinks it's funny. Great.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing." I said, finger pointing dangerously close to his face. "Because I've been feeling trapped since this entire episode began and I could really do with some support right now."

He patted the cushion beside him. "Sit."

I blew out a sigh. "Fine." Because the couch was leather and I too was in leather, it took some time for me to settle. I ended up, jacket hanging over the back of the couch, head in Ranger's lap, looking at the ceiling.

"Is this what I think it is?" He asked, fingers wrapping around my chain. Shit! I didn't even think.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Last night."

"Have you given him an answer?"

"No."

"No you won't marry him or no you haven't given him an answer?"

"No answer. Which kind of brings me to why I'm here." I shifted slightly so I could get a better look at him. I needed to see his reaction. "What's going on Ranger? Between _us_? I mean, look at us. I'm supposed to have a boyfriend but here I am in your arms, just chatting. But we both know, if I said yes. We'd be in your bedroom at it like rabbits. There isn't a lot of men who'd put up with so much resistance and there are even less men, who'd watch a women he has feelings for walk away."

His jaw clenched. "That's a question only you can answer, babe. Why aren't you at home with Morelli? He not taking care of things at his end or are you just looking for another excuse to twist the knife?"

I pushed away from him. "What did you just say?" My voice raised. "Do you honestly think that about me? Do you truly think I only come to you when things with him are down the pan?"

He shook his head.

"I don't believe this." I was on my feet again, pacing. "I have done nothing but trust you since you began training me. Well hells bells, thanks for the honest insight into how you view me. At least I know now why I'm entertainment. It's all a fucking sham."

I went to go around the couch and grab my jacket, but he stopped me. We stood shoulder to shoulder in a Mexican standoff, I wasn't leaving without my jacket and he wasn't going to let me leave until we'd finished the argument.

"Stephanie." Ranger stared at me, his eyes intense. "Firstly, you are entertainment because you're a refreshing stint to these guys. All they see are butt cracks and bail busters all day, you're a pin-up to them or haven't you realized that yet?"

I pursed my lips. "Fine. That doesn't explain where you get this opinion that I'm twisting a knife in Morelli's back."

"I don't give a flying fuck about _him_. I'm talking about me." He let out a small laugh then the room fell silent. I tried to fill the emptiness but I couldn't find the words. "It kills me to watch you go back to him. He treats you like shit, and you deserve better." He finally said.

"Fuck." I whispered.

That's the thing with Ranger. He answers only to himself. I know very little about him, but every now and then he lets down the brick walls he holds so firmly in place, and let's a little information go. This however, was sounding a little more personal than that…

I felt overwhelmed. "I can't do this. I thought I could and now it's all flying out the window, faster than I can manage."

"So that's it." Ranger said, disgruntled. His jaw was clenched again. "Running back to him again before we even talk this out."

"You know what. You had your chance when we broke up and guess what, you fucked it up. Big time." I spat at him. "Morelli's treats me no worse than you did. At least he is there in the morning! At least he's offered me something more than a one night fuck! He loves me! You've done nothing but break my heart since the morning you walked out on me."

"I tried to make you see. But you're blinded by Morelli, so I held back and kept the pressure off. I've always told you to let me know when you've figured things out. I've tried babe, I really have. But watching you go back to him time and time again, after the way he puts down constantly and holds you back. It's not good for the soul. I've always respected you. From the moment you dragged his sorry ass into the PD but watching you hook up with him after all the shit he'd given you. It threw me for a loop but he moved quicker than I did. And for a while, I had my doubts."

"Why?"

"Because the ballsy girl from the Burg that was swift enough to put me down when I first met her, crawled into the ground. She had grit and she didn't take Morelli's shit. _You did_."

I eyeballed him. "And you're just Mr. Perfect, aren't you! I came here tonight to try and talk to you. And you've done nothing but torment me since I walked through that door!"

"You need to think about this. Stop being pigheaded and listen. What bothers you more, the dress you'll be shopping for in three weeks time or telling me you love me? Things might go a little easier -" Ranger began to speak. I never gave him the opportunity to finish. The little patience I had left snapped. Ranger was just standing there, looking sexy and severe. I took a step forward. Hand raised to belt him across the face but his own darted out quick as a flash and grabbed mine. "- there's no need to get physical."

"You arrogant, tanned, god awful, pushy, son of a bitch. What makes you think, for even a second, that I feel a fraction of what I feel for Morelli, for you?"

"Because you do." He said. "You don't look at him the way you look at me. Just admit it."

"Do you really want me to answer that?" I said, getting to the heart of the entire evening.

"Yes, it might make what I have to say a lot easier."

"Oh for gods sake, I love you. There, is that better? _I love you more than I'll ever love him_."

"That'll do nicely."

I swatted him playfully on the arm. "Oi. Aren't you supposed to say something back?"

Ranger flashed me the full wolf grin. "I love you too, babe." His arms starting winding round my neck. "Now how do we get this chain off?"

**_The End. (Yeh!)_**


End file.
